SIL International Media Release

Peruvian National Congress passes Motion to recognize SIL Peru on its 60th anniversary

(September 2006) The National Congress of Peru honored SIL Peru by passing a congressional motion that stated: "To salute and congratulate the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) on the 21st of September 2006, day of their Sixtieth Anniversary of its creation." José Cevasco Piedra, Main Officer of the National Congress, signed the document by stating, "On this opportunity I submit to you the most distinguished expression of my appreciation."

The motion to salute SIL was given in consideration of SIL’s "seeking to revitalize ethnic groups that lack a written language and is now celebrating 60 years of existence, having facilitated integration of the most remote villages."

A copy of the motion was received by Director of SIL Peru James Roberts.

Mr. James Roberts
General Director of the
Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL)

I am addressing this to put in writing for you the following Motion, approved by all the Members of the National Congress at its session that took place on the 28th of September, 2006:

“The Undersigned Member of Congress of the Nation;

CONSIDERING:

That on the 21st of September 1946, the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) was created and began its basic and applied work in the field of ethno-linguistics. It is an institution that is working in 80 countries, seeking to revitalize ethnic groups that lack a written language and is now celebrating 60 years of existence, having facilitated integration of the most remote villages;

That during the decades of the 1950s to 1970s, the Peruvian Government celebrated an agreement with SIL that allowed the creation of bilingual schools in 1953. The prospective teachers were members of ethnic communities who had some knowledge of Spanish, they were able to receive basic teaching knowledge during the summer months through courses taught by SIL staff so that they themselves could teach what they had learned in their own communities;

That the Summer Institute of Linguistics has worked in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, principally researching and preserving our indigenous languages, and that it has also conducted studies about the ethno-linguistic families, all of which deserve the acknowledgement and gratefulness of all Peruvian authorities, and even more for the tremendous effort that has resulted in the editing and publication of a variety of bibliographic works in our own ethnic languages; and,

That in view of what has been expressed, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Summer Institute of Linguistics must result in an attitude of gratefulness to those who, with their great effort, have allowed us the knowledge of our diverse languages with their cultural and linguistic richness.

Submits To the Whole Body of The National Congress,

The National Congress

AGREES:

To salute and congratulate the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) on the 21st of September 2006, day of their Sixtieth Anniversary of its creation,

To transcribe the present Motion to Mr. James Roberts, Director of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and, through him, to its members who are carrying on their work in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, mainly in the preservation of our indigenous languages as well as in the studies of the ethno-linguistic families for the purpose of knowing our diverse languages with their cultural and linguistic richness.

Original Congressional Motion in Spanish

Related Links of Internest

SIL Peru Website: http://www.sil.org/americas/peruOver 1400 publications by SIL-Peru may be found here. In the trend toward the electronic era, some academic publications are now being posted in Electronic format only.

The four listed below have recently been posted on the SIL Peru web site: